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Old Main Bell removed for refurbishing

Old Main Bell removed for refurbishing

By 6:15 a.m. on Thursday, the louvers had been removed from the side of the Old Main bell tower facing the parking lot, in preparation for the removal of the Old Main Bell. The the 138-year-old, 1,200-pound bell is being removed to be restored and placed on permanent display adjacent to Old Main, as a gift from the class of 2009.

The Old Main Bell has been removed from its perch in the Old Main Bell Tower, and sits ready for its move. The bell will be taken to Church Specialities for refurbishing, and eventually will be on display near Old Main. The project is a gift of the class of 2009.

Workers from New Vibrations Audio and Video hoist a beam out the opening of the Old Main Bell Tower. The beam is part of the support structure being put in place to hoist the Old Main Bell out of the tower so it can be taken for refurbishing.

Brian Michaels cuts the support beam on the Old Main bell down to size while Andy Besecker steadies it. The beam had to be cut so it and the bell will fit through the opening in the bell tower. The men work for New Vibrations Audio and Video, the service technicians for Church Specialities, where the bell is headed for refurbishing.

Although it appears to be a small decoration hanging from a tree, in reality the 1,200-pound Old Main Bell is being lowered to the ground by a large crane, whose hook is only partially visible through the top of the leaves.

Jill Caffrey, a member of the class gift committee for 2009, was the first of several people who got to ring the Old Main Bell after it was removed from the bell tower. Once it is refurbished, the bell will be put on display near Old Main so it can be seen by everyone. Until today, the bell was in the bell tower, which was open to the public only a few times a year.